EU Parliament Promotes June Elections as a Referendum on Programs for Women - Building Gender Balanced Business

• In a Social Policy announcement, the European Parliament is promoting its June 4-7 elections as a chance for voters to decide the future of gender policy in the EU.

• “Equal opportunities for men and women, equal pay for equal work, freedom from unfair discrimination: these are fundamental European values,” the Parliament states, then asking, “But how far should we go to achieve them? How far should we go to ensure that people don’t have to choose between career and family?”

• The announcement notes the number of female managers in the EU, at 32.6% of the total, and how women make up 31% of the members of the Parliament, compared with 16.3% in 1979.

• But it also decries the 17% wage gap across the EU and how one in ten EU citizens (presumably mostly female, though it does not say so) has suffered bullying, harassment or violence during his or her life. And how while women employed full-time put in an average 3 fewer hours a week than men at the workplace, they do so much more at home.

• “Should more be done? … {T]he MEPs you choose will be the ones to decide on what more (if anything) needs to done in Europe on many issues that could affect your work-life balance”.

The EU Parliament announcement